Says the returning Australian Open semifinalist, "The confidence kicks in on week two." First, the Greek has to get there and starts against Mikael Ymer Tuesday night.
Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas might have not won a Grand Slam yet, but recent experience has helped him understand what he needs to do to win.
The No. 4-ranked Tsitsipas had an up-and-down run at the Slams in 2021. He recovered from two sets down to defeat Rafael Nadal and get to the Australian Open semifinals, then reached the final of the French Open, playing back-to-back five-setters to defeat Alexander Zverev before falling to No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
Tsitsipas wants to keep his concentration and avoid those types of long contests during the course of the two weeks.
"Having a strong start has contributed a lot to my confidence, kind of not wasting a lot of time on court playing long matches for sure is an energy saver. We're basically going in for a marathon and we have to sleep well, we have to eat well," Tsitsipas. "These are all important things when you approach a Grand Slam.
"My tactics remain the same. But I'm really going for the long run in every single one of them. There is kind of a different mental approach to it because you might be two sets to love up but the match isn't over.
"The confidence kicks in on week two. That's where you can evaluate and move on."
But he first has to get there, which was a problem for the 23-year-old at Wimbledon, where he exited against Frances Tiafoe in his opener, and then again at the US Open, where he almost went down playing Andy Murray in the first round and was then defeated by Carlos Alcaraz in the third round.
He's even more cautious about his opening contest at the Aussie Open.
"First rounds can be the most challenging," said Tsitsipas. "Getting started at whatever you do, you don't know what you're about to expect. Everyone has done pre-season training, fitness training."
Another concern for Tsitsipas is his recovery from offseason elbow surgery, especially since he had some pain during ATP Cup. But it has now improved.
"Feeling good with my arm," which is nice," he said.
The defending semifinalist starts the Australian Open against Mikael Ymer Tuesday night
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